Werewolves in the Big Apple

21

"You were stalking me?"

"Jeez Jules—when you put it like that it sounds bad." Ryder groaned.

"Because it is bad! Why didn't you ever just come up and talk to me?"

"I don't know if you know this, but you're not exactly the easiest person to talk to. For however mean you are now, you were way meaner back then. And I was sixteen. Girls scared me."

She wasn't that mean—was she? That question only stood for a moment before her brain gave an immediate answer, stopping her thought process in its tracks. And who knew Mr. Playboy would be terrified of girls.

Or her. She felt weirded out about him watching her all the time, but maybe... Her brow pinched. "What age did you stop watching me?" She asked, suspicious.

Justin snorted. "Never."

Ryder was quick to smack him. "Don't say that!" Justin let out an ow, and like every other younger brother, smacked him back. Ryder looked back at her. "Don't listen to him—he's lying 'cause he thinks it's funny. I stopped watching you after a year."

Justin snorted again. While Ryder was shooting him a look, Julie was watching them from the backseat. She was re-thinking all of their past interactions, wondering if he planned them in someway. Was Justin really just kidding, or was there some form of truth to it?

"Are you the reason why we worked together in the hospital?" She asked.

"No—well sorta—-kind of. It was Dad's idea first, but I also kind of volunteered too."

She did not even know what to say. Justin must've sensed some of her unease. "Don't worry about it too much, Julie. My brother's a little stupid, but he's not creepy. The bond affects our decisions in a lot of strange ways. It must've been playing a role then, too."

"Yeah, like how it did with you and Marie." Ryder butted in. The town only one had one Marie.

"Wait—you mean our Marie?" Julie asked. Ryder nodded at her, grinning. "What'd he do with her—--wait, they're mates?"

Something changed in the air. Justin seemed to cringe in his seat, like Marie was the last thing he wanted to talk about. Ryder nudged him, a smirk on his face. "Go on, tell her what happened between you and Marie."

"Only if you tell her what happened between you and Marie." Justin retorted. This brought Julie's attention back to Ryder.

"What does he mean you and Marie?"

"They were engaged." Justin said.

Julie gasped in her seat. "Woah—woah—what?" She gripped Ryder's seat, pulling herself forward to talk to him face-to-face. "You're engaged and you didn't tell me?"

"No—" Ryder quickly said. "Were. Were engaged. I called it off because I didn't want her to begin with. Dad set it up."

"But—wait," Julie pointed at Justin. "But you're her mate, so why did your dad set her up with you?" She then pointed at Ryder, immensely confused. There was way too much going on with this family. It made her head spin.

Justin spoke. "I didn't do what Dad wanted, so he set up my mate with my older brother. Ryder thought it was funny, so he agreed to it."

"Ryder!" Julie scolded, glaring at him. "You were going to torture your brother like that?" Was she even talking to the same guy she worked with in the hospital? She knew he liked to get on her nerves, but she didn't think he would be downright manipulative.

But then she thought back to him breaking into her car.

Ryder held his hand up, his tone defensive. "Before you start jumping to conclusions, he had a girlfriend at the time and Marie didn't want him anyway. And no, I wasn't actually going to marry her. We were engaged less than a month."

Oh. That made it easier for her to swallow. Although she hated to admit they were mates, the feelings of jealousy sprouted up at hearing their previous engagement. Or the thought of any ex dating history. She had been with no one. Her total partner history was a whopping zero.

A thought came into her head. "Ryder," She started. "How many girls have you been with?" it wasn't accusative, it wasn't jealous sounding—at least she hoped not—-it was just a simple question.

But it felt like a stupid one once he looked at her quizitively, and Justin started laughing. Why was he laughing? Did he sleep with so many girls that it was dumb to even ask?

Her face started heating up, the embarrassment eating at her. Of course he'd have a lot of previous partners. He was hot. "Nevermind—forget I asked." She quickly said, slumping back into her seat.

He was still looking at her. "Well you already asked the question, so I'm going to answer it. Zero. Why? You jealous?" He gave her a little teasing smile.

She just stared at him. "No way it's zero."

Justin just laughed again. "You're right, it's actually two—-his hand and his pillow." And then laughed at his own joke, even when Ryder glared at him and started kicking him across the car, causing the two to start arguing again.

Julie was still trying to process everything. Zero body count. Engaged to Marie. Stalked her for a year.

They were mates. That was the main thing she was still trying to process. She didn't even know if they were friends—let anyone anything in a relationship. Sure, she wasn't a saint. She'd seen things online and regularly read them, but witnessing it and experiencing it are two entirely different things.

Maybe she could...start? At least ask Ryder what they were. No—she already knew the answer. They were mates. He'd been very eager to push on that statement. He's let her know time and time again that he's wanted them to work.

The only one limiting their relationship was her. She gave another glance at Ryder before she looked out the window, folding her limbs on herself in the seat. Her parents had been dead for so long, she forgot what they looked and sounded like.

Everything was so long ago. It was time to let go.

It was time to give Ryder a chance.

A full chance.

...when they get to New York. She'll give him a chance when they become situated. She'll watch and wait, and cautiously, carefully, see where their relationship will go.

Even with how infuriating Ryder was half the time, a small part of her wanted it too.

______________

Author's Note:

*Gnawing at the gates of my enclosure*

Trying to get people to read this story is like throwing a cup of water into the ocean. It does nothing. *cries*

Maybe it's just not interesting. I get it, it's a first draft so it's not the greatest but I've seen sooooo many trashy stories on the TOP of the werewolf tags. Or any tags. LIKE WHYYYYYYYYYYYYY.